No One Get's Left Behind
by WolverinesDarlin
Summary: Ever have somebody fall RIGHT before you are about to leave? and you're left with a choice; go try and save your friend and risk starting the chapter over, Or leave them behind and have their death on your head? Well here's my take.


_Got this idea when I was playing with my brother. We were at the end of the Swamp Fever campaign and I got on the boat, along with my brother, who was playing Ellis. But Coach and Nick were still playing hero and sticking around all the zombies. Well three things happened at that point. Nick fell under a Tank, Coach jumped onto the boat and I screamed as the credits began to roll._

_I had been about to jump out of the boat when Coach had jumped on, keeping the level going, meaning I could have gone to save Nick… too bad I couldn't jump in the water huh?_

_So I was like FREAKING out that Nick got left behind. Anyway, this is my way of getting into L4D enough to write more of it. _

_Infinity is NOT in it. This is solely Ro', Nick, Ellis, and Coach._

_Slight Nick/Rochelle romance._

_Disclaimer: I do not own._

X.x.X.x

"The boat is here! Get on!" Rochelle screamed from the boat, the only other person on the boat was Ellis; the other two men, Nick and Coach were still outside near the docks.

"Guys c'mon!" Ellis yelled, he waved his arms around animatedly.

Rochelle shot at a couple infected that were making their way towards them but her eyes stayed on Nick who was trapped in a circle of zombies. "Nick!" Rochelle yelled.

Coach came soaring up the stairs, but Nick was still standing there - in the middle of a large group.

"No! Nick!" Rochelle cried as the boat captain started to pull away from the dock, just as Nick fell to the ground, unable to stay on his feet.

Letting out a scream Rochelle pounded on the door leading to the 'cockpit'. "No stop!" She ordered as she grabbed her shot gun and jumped into the water, wading back to shore.

"Rochelle stop!" Coach yelled, "Come back here!" he lowered his voice so only Ellis could hear. "Ohhh, she's gonna get herself _killed_!"

Coach knew that nobody could really help, Ellis was about passed out on the boat floor from a minor concussion he had gotten from when a Hunter tackled him to the ground he hit his head on the pavement.

Coach himself couldn't feel his right leg and he knew for a fact his shoulder was dislocated. Rochelle was in no shape to do this either - she was limping, her head was bleeding which probably meant she also had a concussion.

"Oooh, Coach." Ellis moaned from the floor, "Ah don't think Ah'm gonna make it…"

"Hang in there kid." Coach encouraged kneeling down next to the boy and grabbed his pill bottle; there wasn't much left -only two but it would help numb some of the young man's pain.

X.x.X.x

Rochelle came to shore and stumbled a little on the sand bank. She stood and shot at a couple shots at the infected that had lost interest in Nick and came towards her. Continuing to fight the wave of infected she moved closer and closer to Nick, she called out his name.

Nick screamed as he watched her from the ground, in combined frustration, pain, and fear. "I need help! I can't do this on my own!" He yelled.

Cursing when the ground started to shake, Rochelle looked around. "Damn it! Taaank!" She announced out of habit.

"Rochelle!" Nick yelled- part of him was screaming her name so she would leave and save herself; the other part was begging her to save him.

She ran as fast as her injured leg would allow her, keeping her eyes fastened on him. "Nick," She called his name when she came up to him and threw a pipe bomb away from them; the zombies ran towards the bomb, leaving the two to themselves.

"Rochelle." He reached for her, his eyes flashed with fear. She knelt down next to him and draped his arm around her shoulders hurriedly, "Ah – ah" he winced.

"Sorry." She apologized as she hoisted him up. "Can you shoot?" She asked him, handing him her pistol.

"Yeah," He grabbed the pistol, aimed, and shot any on coming zombies that were hell bent on stopping the survivors way to the boat.

Listening closely she cringed and squinted her eyes, "The Tank is getting closer." She muttered as they made their way down the docks.

"That's because it's right behind us!" Nick said when he looked over his shoulder, still trying to keep up.

"What?" Rochelle picked up the pace as she looked over her own shoulder, "Damn it!" She refocused on the path in front of them.

She glanced down to the water below them and considered just jumping in and swimming the rest of the way, but there was no guarantee he could make the swim – in truth she wasn't she if she could do it herself.

"Ro' just go!" Nick said as he struggled to keep up, the Tank right behind them.

Rochelle didn't answer, instead just tightening her grip around his waist and around his wrist to insure he didn't slip from her grasp.

X.x.X.x

Coach watched from the deck of the boat, having been protecting the small fishing boat from any other infected. He checked his automatic rifle before popping up to provide cover. "C'mon! You're almost here!" he shouted, popping off a few short bursts to the raging tank behind them.

"Don't shoot us!" Nick shouted, ducking at the sound of the rifle.

"Like I would do that!" He shot back, continuing his onslaught of bullets.

Nick scoffed, a moment later he felt something hit his back, knocking the wind out of him and sending him and Rochelle flying into the water.

The man blinked against the blurry water as we looked up, watching as the surface of the water got further and further away. He felt the water around him, his lungs aching for much needed air but all he could get was water.

His instinct told him to swim, but his stiff, sore, body wouldn't allow him such an action.

_Damn, _he thought, "_No way out of this one conman." _He heard his dad tell him. _This was the end._ He knew.

He closed his eyes, his mind barely registering the pressure around his wrist.

X.x.X.x

Rochelle gasped for air, her arms around the limp and not breathing conman.

"Help" She said, water sloshing into her mouth when she opened it, coughing when it went down her throat involuntarily.

Rochelle treaded the water barely holding Nick's head above the crashing water. Coach discarded his rifle onto the dock and jumped in after her and Nick, taking the injured man from her so Rochelle could make the swim to the boat.

Pulling herself over the starboard side of the boat, flopping inside and feeling tempted to just lay there in sleep. She glanced over to the door and saw Ellis, sleeping soundly and sighed. Rochelle shot to her feet and leaned over the side to grab Nick as Coach pushed him up from the water.

Once she got a hold of Nick under his arms she pulled up and over, Nick's body tumbling over and landing on top of her. Grunting she pushed him off of her and onto the deck on his back.

Coach tumbled in a few moments later, scrambling to his feet he pounded on the door, "Go! Get us out of here!" She heard Coach order as she leaned her ear close to Nick's mouth.

The boat revved and moved away from the dock, leaving the plantation, the swamp and it's infected behind.

"He's not breathing" She called out and pressed her fingers against his neck as she got to her knees and bent over him.

Coach looked over his shoulder at the sound of her voice and turned to watch frantic woman begin CPR.

"C'mon Nick!" She cried as she pumped into the man's chest, "C'mon, _breathe_!" She screamed before pressing her lips against his and breathing air into his lungs, after two breaths she moved back to pumping his chest, "No Nick" She mumbled, as she repeated the process.

"Nick, don't you leave me!" She screamed hopelessly after repeating the process of five times. Pounding on his chest one last time Rochelle pinched her eyes closed and prayed he would come back.

When he took a shuddering breath her eyes flew open and she sighed in relief, "Oh thank god" She muttered as water spilled over his lips she turned him on his side so he didn't choke on the same water that had already drowned him.

Sitting up, finally he looked at her – his eyes barely open. "Ro'…." He rasped, his throat raw.

"Hey…" She rubbed his back gently.

"Thanks." He said as he lowered his head to her shoulder, closing his eyes. "I owe you one," he whispered before drifting into unconsciousness.

Rochelle closed her eyes and thanked whoever was watching out for this ex con, wrapping her arms around his waist to keep him from sinking to the wet deck – not that he wasn't already soaked in lake water already.

Coach came up beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Good job lil' sister."

She smiled up at him from her place on the floor. "Thanks," She murmured, she glanced back at the young man across the deck and frowned. "How's he?"

"He's fine, just tired and in need of some attention." He smiled, shrugging a little.

She nodded slowly, "We made it." She blinked slowly and looked up at the sky, the sun starting to hide behind a never ending storm cloud which, in her opinion, would be a relief compared to the beating sun they had just fought through.

"We all did, thanks to you." He patted her shoulder gently before excusing himself to go talk to the captain.

Rochelle moved to the side of the boat, leaning against it, and stretching her legs out in front of herself. Carefully she brought Nick's head into her lap, running her fingers through his wet hair.

"We all made it." She repeated quietly, her eyes fluttering closed, slowly drifting off to sleep.

X.x.X.x

_Revised version, hope it was better than the first!_

_Please review, it only takes 30 seconds… maybe even less. ;)_


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